Supercar Blondie answers: who owns the most expensive Bugatti?

The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is the most expensive Bugatti ever made, worth a staggering $18 million. 

The stunning vehicle was released in 2019 to mark the luxury marque’s 110th anniversary. 

When it was released, the La Voiture Noire was once the most expensive car in the entire world.

But who bought the world’s most expensive Bugatti and where is it now?

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The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is a very special car

The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is a complete one-off vehicle that took two years to design and create. 

The 2019 car was inspired by the Type 57SC Atlantic, which was created by founder Ettore Bugatti’s eldest son Jean in 1934.

The Type 57 Atlantic – dubbed ‘La Voiture Noire’ – was one of just four ever made and has been missing since World War II.

The more modern tribute to the vintage vehicle packs a lot more power than its inspiration. 

The La Voiture Noire was fitted with a 16 cylinder, 8.0 liter engine which produces 1,500 horsepower and 1,600Nm of torque.

It can do 0-100km/h (0-60mph) 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of 420km/h (261mph).

Not only that, but it looks absolutely stunning. 

The car was designed to look as though it was ‘cast in one piece’ and features sleek lines and a black carbon fiber coated in a ‘black carbon glossy’ topcoat.

“With the La Voiture Noire, we are paying our respects to our long tradition, to France, and to Jean Bugatti’s creative work,” President of Bugatti Stephan Winkelmann said at the time of its release. 

“At the same time, we are bringing exceptional technology, aesthetics, and extreme luxury into a new age. The La Voiture Noire is at the cutting edge of automotive engineering.

“It is a sculptural beauty that boasts unique technology.”

How much did the most expensive Bugatti cost?

Shortly after its release, the one-of-one La Voiture Noire was snapped up by a ‘Bugatti enthusiast’ – and they must have had deep pockets, because it sold for an eye-watering $18.7 million including taxes. 

At the time, it was the world’s most expensive car – until the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail broke that record in 2022 when it went on sale for a massive $28 million.

Interestingly, while the La Voiture Noire is the most expensive car sold by the automaker – if you happened to find the original Type 57SC Atlantic that inspired it, you could expect to sell it for more than $100 million due to its rarity, heritage, and interesting history. 

Just last year, someone claimed to have found the missing motor, but the claims were quickly shut down.

Who bought the car?

In 2021, the luxury carmaker shared a press release confirming that the La Voiture Noire was created ‘exclusively for a Bugatti enthusiast within the space of two years’. 

Later on in the release, the automaker said the vehicle had ‘already been sold’. 

At the time, there was a lot of speculation surrounding the mystery buyer with all sorts of names being thrown into the hat. 

Amongst those claimed to be the mysterious – and seriously wealthy buyer – of the most expensive Bugatti ever was soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, but shortly after tabloids ran with the story, it was confirmed to be false.

The buyer of the La Voiture Noire was never formally named by the automaker, but it is wildly thought to have been commissioned by the late Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch. 

Piëch passed away in 2019, before the car was sold, and it’s now reported that its owned by a family member of the late Austrian business magnate.

The Bugatti La Voiture Noire has been spotted several times in Switzerland – including outside a budget supermarket – but each time it’s spotted, it has a different driver behind the wheel.

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